The King I See Inside
by casimiria
Summary: An old enemy of the Pridelands finally decides to share her story and what made her change. Zira teaches her children of her past and what it has come to. Discover how she met Simba, how he helped her bad side evaporate. What happened to her in her younger years before bearing her two cubs? (Simba/Zira).
1. Prologue

A/N: "Hey there. :D Since I started a Fic for Lady & Tramp, and since I love The Lion King so much, I figured I should make something for The Lion King, too."

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The King I see inside.

 _Prologue._

Zira observed her digits split in every stride she took, a wave of elegance stalking her afterwards. Despite her lean and skinny nature, she was quite beautiful and attractive. Her forelegs were fibrous, but not so much, which illustrated her robust trait. The lioness revealed her menacing roar, but it wasn't a threatening roar this time. Although the lioness had done many menacing roars in the past, it happened that right now she was in search of her two off-springs - who came jolting after a few minutes later.

Zira offered her cubs a stern look, making them drop their heads down in shame. Wanting to break the uncomfortable moment, the first cub spoke. "Mom...We were just by the river - trying to...catch fish."

The mother's expression practically explained her feelings. Zira's jaw dropped wider than ever, and she gaped towards her cubs in complete concern more than anything else except anger. "You...WHAT?!" The helpless off-spring hid their faces in one another's arms, whimpering in fear and no protection - something Zira didn't like. Zira, thankfully, managed to stay away from the bad side, but on the loving motherly side. But that didn't mean she wasn't angry. Without anything being said from her or the cubs, Zira pulled the youngest cub forward, forcing her nose into his neck, pulling out with a lick.

"I'm mad, but I told you both I really don't like it when you go there!" she replied, more at ease. But not so very comforting. The same burning anger hung in her voice. But not the hate anger, the concerned anger. Anything could have happened to her cubs. The youngsters were the only family she had left.

The lioness proceeded to pulling her eldest cub closer to her, nuzzling her with the same affection as she did with the younger male. Zira had a hate and anger for everyone, but nobody could touch her cubs - they were perhaps the only thing she was nice to. "Ani, you're older - you're suppose to be more responsible and look out for your brother!"

Ani sighed. "I-I tried to do that but, you see, he's not so easy to control."

"Nah, you just wanted to get out of the den."

Without wasting a second, the young lioness immediately leaped onto her brother, both cubs growling menacingly and trying to tear each other apart. Ani pulled his tail and Kovu pulled her ear. Zira had enough of it. They were always fighting.

"Snap out of it, you foolish cubs!" She grabbed Kovu away from his sister and placed him on the other side of her - right beside her left leg. "You two are not to leave the den for another week!"

Was it really that bad a 'crime' that the siblings had committed?

"I'm so scared," Ani whispered to herself in sarcasm, rolling her eyes and opening her mouth to yawn.

Zira's ear flickered. "Shut your trap, Ani. Come, cubs." It could be figured now that Zira had good hearing. Ani flinched, following the ankles of the older, haggard lioness.

She led them to the large formation known as Pride Rock, gazing up at the primed moon which illuminated the Pridelands. As soon as they journeyed up the formation towards the den's inside, the mother picked up her cubs with her jaws, gently placing them on the ground - next to the platform where she'd sleep with the father of her cubs, Simba.

Ani lay beside her younger brother, without saying a word. But she still managed to stare at Zira for quite some time without being scolded. Kovu whimpered slightly, but tried to keep quiet - he knew how angry Zira could get. Although, there was a good change in her behavior ever since she had met Simba. She no longer abused cubs, and kept her anger to a limit. It was her yelling that frightened the cubs. And the yelling could have been a sign that one day her past anger would unleash again...that was what the cubs thought.

"Hey Mom...You always say that your behavior has improved-" Kovu started.

"Yeah! What do you want to say with that?"

"-Well...Can you tell us a story of how your behavior was when...y'know...you were y-younger?"

Ani got herself involved, purposely elbowing her brother with such force to shut him up, violently whispering into his ear. "Shut up, don't remind her!" she scolded. "She doesn't need to sleep in such stress!" The young lioness cub turned back to her mother. "Mom...Can we have a story of how you met Dad?"

Zira yawned. "I am quite tired, but to keep you from not waking up in the night, very well," she agreed. "I suppose stories make you sleep longer...As weird as it sounds...But, for some reason it only applies to you two."

The pride lionesses began to enter the den to begin their long slumber - they'd have to wake up early to go hunting later. It seemed everyone had gotten used to the way Zira spoke quite loudly even in the late hours. But she only ever spoke loudly sometimes. Zira grabbed both of her cubs, placing them between her paws and closer to her warm, fluffy chest. The sound of her heartbeat would surely sooth them - it was the sound they heard at her pregnancy, after all.

"I had just ran away from my mother's strict orders..."


	2. Runaway!

[A/N: I have finally got around to updating this, yay!]

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The King I see Inside.

 _Chapter one; Runaway._

A scrawny adolescent lioness bewilderingly pawed the ground as her vivid, vermeil eyes thoroughly observed the gourd on the ground. She viciously hissed as a, somewhat, elder gelada monkey rubbed the liquid on her lashing wound. Her teeth were bared, which was a sheer sign of pain. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done. Her wound had to treated before it became infected. The wound evitably webbed the doing of hyenas, despite the queen telling the hyenas they were not permitted to amble anywhere near the lion kopje. They were to remain on the other side of the watering hole, and no lionesses of the pride were to tresspass either. Zira, however, took after her mother when she was a cub; her rebellion was known by everybody in the pride, which was probably why she didn't have any close lionesses other than her mother in the kingdom.

It didn't bother Zira though, she didn't like any of the lionesses in her pride. To her, they were too kind, and when they weren't, they were too moany. Ugh. Who'd want to stick around with sloppy lionesses all day? Certainly not Zira! In fact, nobody but themselves and their pride sisters.

Zira winced once again as she was snapped out of her impudent thoughts when another pain had rippled from her wound. Even though it wasn't the shaman's fault, Zira still wanted to bite the monkey's head off. She had dabbed the wound many times already, did she like to see her in pain or what? Growling, Zira swatted her paw away from the gelada monkey, purposely swiping a segment of her cheek.

"What the heck are you doing, monkey!" the haggard lioness sneered, after being given a forlorn look by the monkey. She shoved her paw, full of juice, right in front of the medic's face. "Can't you see it's already been given some medication?! What are you trying to do, _kill_ me?"

The gelada monkey, labelled by Zira as the 'stupid one', spoke gently with a sulk, "Mistress Zira," she cooed. In contrast to Zira, she was a much politer figure, "I need to add enough mixture to make sure it heals once and for all."

Zira snorted in laughter, beginning to encircle her. "I'm a strong lioness, Ekisha." At least she sounded more softer this time. The lioness slowed and eventually ceased, using her paw to support the gelada's chin. The same wry feeling of Zira's hung in the air, swallowing Ekisha's content mood. How dare the stupid monkey not believe Zira could cure in just a few days with little medication! She was no longer a cub, but a powerful princess. If Ekisha thought Zira needed this much medication to heal, she was as stupid as some of the hyenas across the land. "I'm the _princess_ of the pride! And you think I can't survive a few days with little medication?"

Ekisha remained silent. It was wrong to argue with any member of the aristocracy of the kingdom, let alone the princess. Instead, she continued to stare miserably, instinctively shutting her eyes on occasion every time Zira's obnoxious saliva seemed to fly out of her mouth and towards her face. However, when she noticed that Zira wasn't actually being rhoterical, she bothered to say something. "Maybe that is true," Ekisha murmered, "But if your mother was to find out I had not taken care of you, I would be lion meat."

Laughing hysterically to the point where she was actually bowling on the resplendent savannah grass, Zira cruelly stated, "That'd be fun to watch!" The monkey shrugged as she tearfully eyed Zira's cackles, before proceeding to covering her eyes with her furry arms. Noticing that she had hurt her nurse, the princess erected into her paws and added in a bored tone. "I'm joking. I wouldn't want that, you're the closest thing to someone I like out here."

Ekisha suddenly simpered, rapidly wiping her tears before facing her princess. "D-Do you really mean it?" she inquired innocently. "I-If I let you go, your mother will not harm me?"

Zira smirked, licking her lips and pulling the shaman close to her chest. "Of course nooot!" the lioness slowly replied, "We need good creatures like you in the world. I'm absolutely sick of these pride lionesses!" She let go of the gelada monkey before walking over the peek. Peering at her immense kopje thriving with lionesses, Zira added. "Mother will not lay a paw on you."

"Then that is fine." Ekisha beamed, playfully barging the scrawny lioness out of her hideout. "You may go. Send your pride my warm regards."

As she always had done, the tawny lioness pounced from the large rocks that created a pathway to Ekisha's small den. Her scheme of hopping down these boulders made everything look so facile, when in reality, it was difficult. For an adolescent, at least. Any lioness Zira's age would be gobsmacked to study Zira's movement when jumping down these rocks. She was as elegant as a flamingo. Zira was fibrous, with powerful forelegs and hind legs, attentive ears and a talented nose. She could smell almost anything more than five kilometers away.

Like a zebra, Zira galloped the lengthy way back towards her pride; which she wasn't happy with. She didn't get along so well with many lionesses, despite being the princess. The first lioness she encounter was Aibu, who was friendly to almost anybody. Most of the lionesses in the pride were friendly and kind, but their kindness towards Zira always managed to wither away whenever she had exposed her arrogant side. The anger, though, would later be suppressed as it always had.

Zira looked at the younger lioness as she was greeted. Aibu was beautiful, young and sometimes easy to manipulate. Zira wondered why she never spoke to her so much. The youngster wasn't really a youngster—only a few months younger than Zira. She was blanketed a browny-gold, marked with very minor freckles, and inked with green eyes. She appeared younger than she actually was to anybody, and would certainly be attractive to makes when they would arrive in the wet season.

They stared at each other for some moments, a dejected expression plastered on Zira's maw whilst Aibu held a bright smile. It took quite a while before Zira actually replied. "Hello," she greeted back in her rough, strong voice. She wore a fake smile as she eyed the younger lioness. "Where's mother?"

"Over there," Aibu gestured to the gray-furred lioness, who stood in the great cluster of lionesses and appeared to be the oldest female in the pride. Zira's crimson orbs directed towards her mother, who casually ambled over towards them. "She wants to talk to you."

"What does she want?" Zira inquired tiredly, still keeping her eyes on the lioness. Despite the causality of her mother's stroll, Zira knew she was to be in trouble. The princess had doubtlessly disobeyed her mother in crossing the watering hole, towards the other side to mess with the hyenas. Remembering the hyena event, Zira quickly threw her wounded paw behind her left foreleg and faked another smile.

"I think it's about crossing the lake." Aibu informed. She began to saunter away, figuring the queen and her daughter needed some time alone. However, before she scrambled off towards the other lionesses, she quickly added, "Good bye, Zira. And good luck!"

As the gray female lion neared her, Zira could automatically feel her ears being tackled back, and her tail cowardly hovering between her hind legs. She wasn't afraid of her mother, her mother was a good lioness. What Zira was afraid of wasn't the lecture either, but the punishment. She didn't want to be condemned to the den for almost a week, or to be banned from being taught how to hunt for a week. Nobody did! Swallowing hard, Zira turned to face the leader of the pride with an irked expression.

"Hey, mother," Zira muttered, barely audible. Her voice broke a little, but at least nobody but herself could hear it. "I know you want to talk to me."

"Yes, Zira, I do." Zira's mother, Hazina, pouted firmly. "We need to talk about what happened today with the hyenas. And your behaviour."

The younger lioness's ears perked in interest. "My behaviour?"

"Yes, your behaviour." At this, Zira's ears pointed backwards, and the narrow bridge of her snout crinkled slightly. What of her behaviour was there to talk about? She hadn't killed anyone, and she had been acting moody for many years now. Why, out of all these times, would her mother choose to bring up something like this now?

Feeling a little more confident, the lioness spoke to her mother. "Why? There's nothing to talk about..."

"This way please," Hazina instructed, gesturing to the rather large rock. Their home, where the lionesses had slumbered. Fortunately, nobody seemed to be in the den at that particular moment, except for a scrawny sleeping cub - it was why it was such a good place to have a firm conversation like this. As soon as they were settled into the den, Hazina concentrated her eyes on her daughter's fiery vermeil ones. It wasn't the first time she had confronted Zira about her behaviour. But most of the time, the talks didn't end so nicely.

Sighing, Hazina murmured, "I've had a few complaints from some of the herd leaders," she said. "What have I told you about killing their calves for sport?"

Zira rolled her eyes, not knowing what to answer. Her mother had told her numerous times not to hunt any animals for sport, let alone even wander near them. She fidgeted with a petite rock on the ground, her eyes half open as a significance of boredom. This talk was ridiculous; Zira knew she'd never listen. "You've told me not to go near them, I know..." she growled slightly, extending her claws. "But I was only hungry. What do you expect me to do, sit there until I starve? I'm the princess for king's sake!"

Hazina, now entirely provoked by Zira's tone, stood up and swatted her across the maw, lobbing her skinny figure to the other side of the den. "You shall not abuse your position as the future queen, Zira! Have some respect!" The lioness huffed, mumbling quietly, "You did not hunt those calves for hunger and you know it!"

The teenage lioness rolled her eyes again to be inducing. "I needed something to practice my hunting on! It's not like it would make a change, we hunt them anyway," She then crouched down into what Hazina recognized as a fighting stance. Was her own daughter challenging her? "And what about _you?_ You hit me, you never spend any time with me! And you've made a big mistake by-"

"I know I've made a mistake Zira!" Hazina hollered. She was very ashamed of what she had done in the past, but it was for the pride's good. If she hadn't done what she did, there would've been malnourished lionesses in the pride, and many wounded was. However, the guilt still lingered, and the fact that Zira was using her own mistake as a justification, it infuriated her. "But my actions do not justify yours!"

Zira bared her fangs. _"I've got her now..."_ was her own voice that bellowed in her mind. The lioness proceeded, "Yes they do! I have a reason to kill those young pests. On the other paw, you killed my-"

The next thing that Zira's eyes had gotten hold of was her mother's large claws colliding with her face.

"Shut up!" Hazina interjected, caterwauling in a raspy tone that identified her anger. Her blow was so resilient that Zira's cheek had begun to bleed ponderously. The queen shuddered, and stared at her paw covered in her own daughter's blood. Zira's scream echoed in her mind, which allowed her to break down and sob on the cave ground.

Several pride lionesses ran in on the scene, some to go and help up their queen, and others to go and revive Zira. It turned out Zira wasn't affected at all. The princess had impudently barged the lionesses that ceased their doings to help her up, and scrambled out of the den.

Aibu pressed her maw down on the queen's shoulders, worryingly informing her, "Don't stand up, your highness. You're hurt."

"But I must go after Zira!" Hazina pressed on desperately. "Who knows what she could be doing out there!"

"Don't worry, sister." came the warm, familiar voice of one of the pride lionesses. An almost black-furred lioness with dashing green eyes stepped in front of the row of panicking lionesses. "I'll make sure Zira doesn't get into any trouble. Tani, Mirembe and Tanabi - you come with me. We'll look for Zira. Chanti, you fetch Ekisha and the rest, you will remain with the queen!"

"But, Jaha!" the golden-pelted lioness named Tanabi exclaimed. She, too, was only an adolescent like Zira. "How do we know in which direction Zira went?"

"Yeah!" Tani interjected after her sister. "We won't cover much ground with only us four..."

"Indeed, you should take more lionesses!" Mirembe exclaimed, leading more than six lionesses over. Jaha shuddered at the thought of her missing niece. These lionesses were right, more ground needed to be covered if they were going to find Zira quickly.

"Very well," Jaha said, beginning to saunter out of the cave. "We'll split up. You four go west, you three go north, and we will go east. We'll meet back here."

* * *

Left. Right. Left. Right.

Zira had been studying the movements of her paws for nearly an hour as she approached the boarder of her mother's kingdom. It was then that the lioness looked back over her shoulders and groaned.

"Mother's probably gonna send a searh party to look for me," she muttered to herself. "But I'm not going anywhere!"

She continued to trail onwards, soon approaching the bewildering jungle. Trees sprang out from behind, displaying its tangled and dangerous nature. Bushes and greenery managed to lash out, ready to tackle any creature and get them stuck; where most of them were rooted to their deaths. The somewhat disgusting mossy scent lingered heavily in the air, the type of smell that made Zira's nose twitch.

Zira hadn't noticed this jungle here before, as she had never approached this half of the kingdom before; she had always been caught or held back, or there was too much of a chance of being spotted by the other animals. She was lucky this time though.

Cautiously, one scrawny paw managed to place itself on the lush and sticky grass of the jungle. The grass wasn't appealing like the one near home, it was gross!

Wanting to hurry out of this situation, Zira used all her strength to pounce into the secluded hole, finally entering the dimension of pure greenery. The sounds the lioness apprehended made her ears flicker; it was extremely irking. Monkeys and apes swang from the limbs of the trees above, throwing their loud cackles out into the world carelessly. Now that Zira thought of these monkeys, the foul stench of urine had intercepted her from the wonderful and familiar scent of home, to the foul and rotten stench of the jungle.

Zira suddenly ducked. Blast those crazy birds, flying carelessly around like so! Had they no respect for the-

"Hey!" Zira yelled at the top of her lungs, not even having an easy chance of finishing her thoughts. Someone had thrown a fruit on her, and its juice was pouring from her back. "Who did this?! Blast you, you insane fools!"

"Shut up, you skinny cat!" came a mocking voice from above.

It was apparent that Zira would not tolerate this rudeness. Quickly, she crouched and propelled onto a tree. Her claws merely grasped its haggard bark, while her hind legs skidded. She was extremely talented when climbing, but for some reason, this tree didn't allow her to. It wasn't familiar.

To add to her chances, the lioness wrapped her hind legs on the bark too, and with more claws extended. She knew who had told her to shut her mouth, and she knew where she wanted to get. The lioness smirked wryly at the tiny, childish baboon who leaped from side to side in a provoking manner. He didn't know she could easily slide up.

It scratched her belly slightly, but Zira did get there. And as she neared the top, she swatted a foreleg forward in attempt to intercept the brat. Damn! She missed.

"You'll never catch me, you little cat!" the monkey declared gleefully. "I'm too fast for you!"

Zira simply snarled, and cautiously leaped onto the unsteady tree limb. She wobbled slightly, before screaming, "I'll get you, you stupid monkey! I'm the princess of this land, so I'd be the fastest creature here!"

The monkey rolled on his back, wriggling his feet and cackling hysterically at her pride. Princess? She wasn't even a queen and she was already wobbling on the branch? Some kind of queen!

Desperately, the lioness writhed forward, baring her razor fangs and slobbering saliva. The monkey still didn't flinch; he appeared incredibly calm. He suddenly shook the branch with all his might, causing Zira to clasp the branch in fear, and then pounced onto another tree. He extended his limbs and swung to a group of other monkeys, similar to him. They all stared dryly at Zira for a few seconds, before bursting out in laughter.

Zira, on the other paw, was too focused on trying to survive. She spun her head, frantically, in every direction in hope of some source of help. Preferably not a branch; she was done with those. She was practically on the verge of falling down this very tall tree, and cracking her head open, never to become queen or see anybody again.

The monkeys made no hesitation in darting onwards, away from the sapling which was on the verge of collapsing. They had no sympathy for the lioness either; she wasn't nice to them. And, she was a predator. One less predator, one more of their kind. Besides, every creature for themselves, right?

Zira's neck stiffened as she observed the monkey's scramble away to safety while she was left on this... old rotten bark. She had nowhere to run, nowhere to take... haven... from...

Her own thoughts in her mind slowed as her eyes directed towards her only hope; there was a large log that she could gallop across towards the lower tree; to which she could jump down to the ground. She'd be safe, but the only disappointment was that she couldn't catch those baboons. They were long gone.

"This is my only chance..." Zira announced fiercely to herself, knowing full-well that if she had missed this jump, she could be severely wounded or even killed.

* * *

Sunset was beginning to paint over Hazina's kingdom, and the lionesses had only begun to return. Hazina's close sister, Jaha, lead the lionesses up the slope to where the queen was laying with the attention of the other pride lionesses. Like they had planned, Mirembe and Tani's group stood together with the queen. Dejection was clearly written all over their faces, and no explanation was needed; the princess wasn't found. There had been times when Zira had ran off, but not for so long. The princess had been gone since the morning, when she had exited Ekisha's small hideout, and last seen when the queen and her daughter had their argument.

Finally able to repause for a while, the lionesses in Jaha's group slumped beside their queen. Some nuzzled her, others had concealed their faces in their paws as a sign of shame. Hazina was desperate to have her daughter beside her at this moment, and frantically gaped at the lionesses that had arrived with Jaha. She had hoped Zira was behind them somewhere.

Noticing her sister's expression, the dark gray-furred lioness shook her head. "She's not here, Hazina," Jaha announced quietly. "We searched everywhere, from here to the Northern Border. She's nowhere to be found."

"But we can't lose hope!" Hazina shouted, jumping up to her paws with her eyes wider than usual. She wanted to cry, and let out her feelings. But for the pride's sake, she held back her tears and her frustration. Suddenly, the gray lioness trotted to the edge of the slope. "Let's try again, we might find her now!"

Ekisha appeared to be there too. She held the queen back. "Queen Hazina," she called, "It is late. We shall not seek her in the dark - we would be putting these lionesses in danger."

Hazina jolted around to face the gelada monkey, "We can't just sit here and do nothing, Ekisha!" the lioness yelled, louder than she wanted. "The hyenas could be after her!"

"Calm down, sister." came Jaha's soothing voice. She placed a paw on her sobbing sister's shoulder. "We will search tomorrow at the crack of dawn. For now, you need some rest. Tani and Tanabi, may you assist the queen to the den?"

"Yes, Jaha," the two sisters nodded in unison, turning to help their queen amble into the den.

One of the lionesses, Tani and Tanabi's mother, approached Jaha and Ekisha slowly. She placed a kill before them, before bowing with a saddened posture. "While we waited, we caught this meal. It's small, but it serves a pride well."

"Good work, Teema," Jaha praised, smiling lightly. "You may take that kill into the den; we'll eat it tomorrow before we leave...for energy. And then, we'll search for Zira. Now, you will lead the lionesses into the den for the night. We all need our sleep."

Jaha and Ekisha observed as Teema led the lionesses into the comforting den, where the queen was still sobbing. They both knew Zira would get into a lot of trouble, as she had very little experience. However, her impudent and sharp attitude would help her in some cases. Both the lioness and the monkey shared the same concerned expression before Jaha broke the silence.

"She'll be okay," the lioness murmered. "She knows what she's doing."

Ekisha nodded, "Yes. And hopefully it will teach her a lesson, a very good one. So she will obey her mother."


End file.
